Refrigerating system of the inert gas type



lyune 15, 1948. DIXON 2,443,379 Y REFRIGEBATING SYSTEM OF THE INERT GAS TYPE :"iled Oct. 6, 1943 w 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F izz 077 INVENTOR,

June 15, 1948. F. E. DIXON 2,443,379

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM OF THE INERT GAS TYPE Filed Oct. 6, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 15, 1948 UNITED... STATES PATENT; OFFICE REFRIGERATING SYSTEM OF THE INERT GAS TYPE Floyd E. Dixon, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 6, 1943, Serial No. 505,210

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to refrigeration, and particularly to evaporators for use in domestic refrigeration enclosures.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein the same has three continuous cycles involving the activity of ammonia, distilled water and hellum or hydrogen gas, so that through such operation these cycles of mediums automatic refrigeration is had by the apparatus with efliciency.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein the structure is of novel arrangement and is thoroughly effective for the automatic refrigeration activity in the working thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the inventlon and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, the refrigeration enclosure being shown fragmentarily, that is to say the evaporator coils thereof.

Figure'2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the generator and separator structure per se.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line l3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a detail plan view partly broken away of the heat exchanger and condenser of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a plan view partly in section and partly broken away of the heat exchanger coil of the apparatus, and

Figure 7 is a detail fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts the refrigerator or this invention includes a section A of an enclosure or cabinet such as a ref-rigerator and refrigerating apparatus B. The apparatus includes a generator l0 having an inclined tubular chamber H suspended above the upper end with the interior of the chamber ll communicating with a chamber I 2 in the generator through a supporting tube as shown in Figure 2. An inner tube I 3 extends from a reduced area in the lower part of the chamber l2 through the supporting tube and carries a condensate tray It at the upper end which is held in an inclined position. The high end of the chamber II is provided with a connection I! through which ammonia vapor, expelled from an ammonia water solution in the generator by the application of heat, passes to an ammonia vapor chamber It associated with a condenser The condenser is formed with a spiral inner tube It in which the ammonia is condensed to liquid and the tube is surrounded. by a spiral outer casing for the inert gas which enters through a tube l9. One end of the inner tube l8 communicates with the interior of the ammonia vapor chamber It and the other end is connected to an upper coil 20 of an evaporator .by a tube 2| having a trap therein. The tube l9 connects the outer casing of the condenser to the upper spiral coil 20 of the evaporator through the tube 2|. The coil 20 is connected by a tube 22 to a"'lower spiral coil 23 of the evaporator, and the lower coil is provided with a connection 24 having two branches 2! and 26. The connection 25 extends to an inert gas chamber 21, and the connection 26 extends to a water and ammonia solution tank 28. An inert gas return connection 29 is provided from the end of the large coil of the outer casing of the condenser I! to the solution tank 28.

The tank 20 is associated with a spiralabsorber coil 30 which is positioned above the tank and a similar coil 3! is positioned below the tank. The coil 30 is connected to the solution tank 28 at the point 32 and the opposite end is connected to the coil 3| by a connection. 33.

The ammonia is washed out of the fluid in the coil 30 by water entering through the connection '33, and the liberated inert gas passes through the connection 34 to the inert gas chamber 21.

The lower coil 3| is connected by a tube 35 to the outer passage of a liquid heat exchanger it which has an inner coil 31, one end of which is connected by a pipe 38 to the chamber l2 of the parts without departing from generator II, and the other end being connected by a pipe 30 to the tank 26. The other end of the outer passage of the liquid heat exchanger is monia, an absorption liquid such as water, and

an inert gas such as hydrogen or helium.

Heat is applied to the generator I II by a burner or heater 43 and the heat expels ammonia vapor from solution. The ammonia vapor flows through connection l5 into chamber l6 and into condenser i1. Water vapor is condensed out of the ammonia vapor in the rectifier chamber l8. and the ammonia vapor is condensed to liquid in the condenser l1. Liquid ammonia flows from the inner tube I! of the condenser ll through the tube 2| to-the upper section 26 of the evaporator. Liquid ammonia flows downward in the evaporator coils and evaporates and difluses into the hydrogen, producing a refrigerating eflect in the chamber or cabinet A.

Hydrogen enters the lower end of the evaporator coil 23 through the tube 24. Rich gas flows from the upper end of the evaporator through the tube 2| in the opposite direction to that of the liquid ammonia, and being stopped by a trap in the tube 2i enters the outer casing of the condenser I! through a tube I9, The inert gas then returns to the solution tank 28 through the pipe 29.

weakened absorption solution flows from the generator l0 through pipe 40, the outer passage of the liquid heat exchanger 36, and pipes 35, 3!, and 33 into the absorber.

In the absorber, weakened absorption solution absorbs ammonia vapor out of the inert gas: Enriched absorption solution flows through tube 39, the inner passage of liquid heat exchanger 36, and tube 38 to chamber I! of the generator. Solution is raised from the chamber I! of the generator through the vapor lift tube 13 to the tray H in the inclined tubular chamber ll wherein water is removed from the ammonia and the condensate returns to the generator and outer passage of the liquid heat exchanger. 1

Weak or inert gas flows from the upper coil of the absorber through the connection 34 to the inert gas chamber 21, and from this chamber to the evaporator through the connection 25 and tube 24,

The cool mixture of ammonia and-helium or hydrogen gas passes around the outer passage 01' the condenser i1, back to the solution tank 28, and up through the absorber coil 30. Water condensate in the ammonia vapor cham ber l8 passes downward to the chamber ll through the connection I.

be made, in the design and arrangement of the the spirit of the invention.

The cool mixture oi! ammonia and helium or hydrogen gas passes through the condenser coil l'l back to the solution tank 28 and up through the absorber coil Ill, where the gas is washed free of ammonia.

The inclination of the separator chamber l2 and the trough l4 directs the water, separated from the ammonia gas, to the lower ends or the same, for discharge downwardly through the outlet pipe lll and its return to the jacket 38, of the heat exchanger 31, while allowing the ammonia gas to pass from the higher end of the chamber i2 and upwardly through the conduit I! to the p r chamber l6.

What is claimed is:

A refrigerating system including a generator having an inclined tubular chamber suspended by a vertically disposed tube above the upper end thereof with a condensate tray in the tubular chamber suspended from the generator by a tube extending through the vertically disposed tube. a condenser having an ammonia vapor chamber in combination therewith and comprising a spiral inner tube in which ammonia is liquified and an outer casing surrounding the inner tube, a connection from the inclined tubular chamber of the generator to the ammonia vapor chamber, an evaporator having opposed spiraltubular coils. a tube connecting the inner end of the spiral inner tube of the condenser to the upper end of the evaporator, an inert gas chamber, an absorber having a solution tank associated therewith, a branch connection from the evaporator to the inert gas chamber and solution tank of the absorber, a connection from the evaporator to the outer casing of the condenser, an inert gas return connection from the outer casing of the condenser to the said solution tank, a connection from the solution tank to the upper absorber coil wherein ammonia is washed out of the fluid by water, a connection from the said upper coil of the absorber to the inert gas chamber, a heat exchanger having an inner tube and an outer passage, a connection from the solution tank to the inner tube of the heat exchanger, a connection from the inner tube of the heat exchanger to the generator, 2. connection from the lower end of the inclined tubular chamber of the generator to the outer passage 0f the heat exchanger, and a connection from the outer passage of the heat exchanger to the upper coil of the absorber.

FLOYD E. DIXON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,960,821 Maiuri et al. May 29,1934- 2,030,350 Bremser Feb. 11, 1936 2,048,355 Sarnmark July 21, 1936 2,096,093 Drevet Oct. 19,1937 2,116,998 Ehnbom May 10, 1938 Lyford Aug. 1, 1939 

